Dr. Violeta Martin, a Specialist Hydrotechnical Engineer at Knight Piésold Canada, 20th delivered the 20thGeological Engineering Distinguished Lecture in early April, with a talk on mining dam safety titled "Why Dam Failures Happen and What Can We Do About It?".
The event, held at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, BC, Canada, attracted an audience comprising students, faculty members, and industry professionals. The lecture was hosted by Dr. Erik Eberhardt, Director of UBC Geological Engineering.
This annual lecture, now in its 20th year, is a collaboration between UBC Geological Engineering and the Vancouver Geotechnical Society, showcasing esteemed figures in the geological and geotechnical fields. Dr. Martin's expertise and experience in mining dam safety made her a fitting choice for this milestone event.
Dr. Martin's presentation delved into the intricacies of mining dam safety, an increasingly scrutinized area following recent catastrophic events. She emphasized the importance of understanding the hazards associated with mining dams, discussing failure modes, mechanisms, and recent advancements in evaluating potential consequences.
"Understanding the consequences is critical because every life matters, the damage to the environment matters, and the loss of cultural and economic values matters," remarked Dr. Martin during her lecture. She underscored the significance of this knowledge in driving design improvements, enhancing risk mitigation strategies, and ensuring safe dam decommissioning.
With over three decades of consulting and teaching experience, Dr. Martin has established herself as a leading authority in dam breach analysis for water retaining and tailings dams. Her contributions extend to industry organizations, including her role as co-chair of the Tailings Dam Breach Working Group of the Canadian Dam Association (CDA) and membership in the CDA Dam Safety Committee.
Ken Embree, President of Knight Piésold Canada, commended Dr. Martin's achievements, stating: "From serving in industry organizations to giving talks like this lecture series, we are incredibly proud of Violeta for being a leading voice in the dam engineering community." He highlighted her role in advancing dam breach analysis, which reinforces Knight Piésold's commitment to excellence in dam safety and emergency planning.
Embree further noted that Dr. Martin's recognition as a distinguished lecturer serves as an inspiration to the entire team at Knight Piésold, especially to aspiring young engineers.
